Support services

Our goConnect team can provide the following support:

Signposting and Referrals - In 2022 we made 4350 referrals for our tenants. This included signposting to our in house services, Befriending, Digital and Money Advice.  Formal referrals were also carried out and included: Mental Health services (Lifelink, GAMH & Mungo Foundation); Social Services (Cordia, Occupational Therapy, emergency AP1 referrals); Family Support, (WIN Project, Aberlour); Employability (People Plus); Food Banks and emergency food parcels.   

Financial Advice and Gains - Our Money Advisor provides money advice, helping people apply for welfare benefits, providing debt advice and applying for energy and food vouchers for those who were destitute.  She helped 187 tenants this year and was able to make financial gains of £295,000 for our tenants.  

Current Classes and Activities Available - In order to deal with deteriorating mental health, particularly through the isolation, we have classes such as a walking, couch to 5k and Tai Chi and a new 8 week Self Development Course to empower our tenants and raise their self esteem post pandemic. We have a weekly programme to keep tenants engaged in a warm space – see section on current classes.  

Digital Learning & on-line Classes - After gaining funding to assist our tenants to get on line, we have allocated 121 computer devices. 30 of them are used as a lending library to encourage our vulnerable tenants to learn, engage and connect. Tutorials have been created and digital devices are preloaded with useful apps. We are currently running a  community learning course via Clyde College on genealogy - encouraging tenants to get online to trace family records.  

Active Arden - Our Active Arden Club, in partnership with Glasgow Life (Community Sports Hubs), run weekly sports and activity classes for all abilities.  We are in the process of forming a committee so that we can have a constituted group who can apply for funding for sports activities and for the Community Garden. 

Befriending Service - Funding from Glasgow City Council’s Area Partnerships has allowed us to be able to employ 2 befrienders, one of which is Polish speaking to cater for our Polish tenants.  This is a popular service and we have received great feedback that it has improved tenants’ wellbeing.

Arden Mental Health Action Group - Due to increased demand for mental health services particularly from men, we decided to form the above Action Group with a number of our partners including Police, Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), suicide Awareness and a number of local groups and Councillor Docherty.  These meetings are to develop some activities particularly to engage with men and we are discussing mental health and suicide training and aiming to become experienced and committed enough to become a ‘Suicide Safer Community’.  We are involved in the newly formed South Steering Committee to develop a Suicide Safer Community and are working with HSCP and the Police as well as other groups to develop the programmes and training necessary to enable our communities to have this status.